Mango Postal
How Many Christmas Cards Are Sent Each Year, and When Should You Mail Yours?
How many Christmas cards are sent each year? In the US alone, about 1.6 billion are bought, making Christmas the biggest card-sending holiday by far. The first Christmas card ever sold, back in 1843, was a flat card smaller than a postcard. This article covers the Christmas card statistics that matter: where the tradition came from, whether people still send Christmas cards, and when to send Christmas cards in 2026 so yours arrives before the 25th.
Short answer: Americans buy about 1.6 billion Christmas cards a year, more than any other seasonal card. But 6 in 10 US adults say they're receiving fewer, and in the UK a third of people sent fewer cards after stamp prices rose. And Gen Z, the generation that sends the fewest, is among the most sentimental about the cards they get.
When was the first Christmas card sent? 1843, and it was basically a postcard
In 1843, the same year Charles Dickens published A Christmas Carol, a busy London civil servant named Henry Cole had a problem: too many people to write to at Christmas. So he asked his friend, the painter John Callcott Horsley, to design one card he could send to everyone.
Horsley's design showed three generations of a family raising a glass, with scenes of feeding and clothing the poor on either side. About 1,000 copies were printed. Cole sent what he needed and the rest were sold for a shilling each, roughly a working man's weekly wage at the time.
It was a single flat card of about 3⅜ × 5⅛ inches with "To" and "From" lines for the sender to fill in (Freeman's auction catalogue; Exploring London). Practically identical to modern cards.
The card wasn't an instant hit. The price was steep, and temperance campaigners objected to a child being shown with a glass of wine. A 1977 census found 21 surviving copies, and one signed by Cole sold at auction in 2001 for £22,500 (History of Information).
North America was slower to catch on. The first commercial Christmas card printed in the US for general sale came from Louis Prang in Boston in 1874, three decades after Cole's (The History Blog).
How many Christmas cards are sent each year?
Christmas is still the card industry's biggest day. In figures USPS reported in 2019, the Greeting Card Association estimated Americans buy about 1.6 billion Christmas cards a year, the most popular seasonal card by a wide margin, out of roughly 6.5 billion greeting cards sold in total (USPS News).
The mail data backs it up. A USPS Household Diary Study counted more than 1.3 billion holiday greeting cards mailed in fiscal 2018, and holiday cards made up about 43% of all personal mail US households sent that year (USPS News). Both figures cover all holiday greetings, not just Christmas cards, but the point stands: for a lot of homes, the holiday season accounts for close to half of the personal mail they send all year.
Do people still send Christmas cards? Yes, but fewer than before
The tradition lives on, but many people say it's shrinking. A December 2024 OnePoll survey of 2,000 US adults who celebrate the holidays (Stacker / KVIA) found:
- 6 in 10 said they're receiving fewer Christmas cards than they used to.
- 3 in 10 said they wouldn't send a single card that year.
- 35% said they wouldn't send any cards at all, but feel obliged because they still receive them.
- On average, those who do send cards send about 10 and receive about 8 back.
Gen Z sends the fewest Christmas cards, but they're sentimental about them
Here's the twist in the same survey. Although Gen Z sends and receives the fewest Christmas cards of any generation, they are among the most sentimental about them: 32% say they're likely to keep the cards they receive as keepsakes.
That fits everything else we know about mail right now. As we covered in our postcard statistics roundup, the mailbox is emptier than it's been in decades, and that's exactly what makes a handwritten card stand out. When fewer people send cards, each one carries more weight.
That's the idea behind Mango Postal. We built it for Gen Z, the generation that treasures cards but rarely sends them, so making a Christmas postcard is as easy as posting an Instagram story: pick your photos, add your message and send it, right in your browser, with no app or account. We print it on thick 500 gsm cotton archival paper, tuck it into a free envelope, and mail it anywhere in Canada or the US within 24 hours, postage included. Mango Postal postcards are made to be kept: the kind of card that's still on the fridge long after the tree comes down.
When to send Christmas cards in 2026
If you're in Canada, plan for the mail to be slower than in past years. In September 2025, the federal government accepted recommendations that reduce how often letter mail is delivered door to door. The change was expected to stretch average letter delivery from 3–4 days to 3–7 days (The Canadian Press).
The calendar is tight, too. Christmas Day 2026 is a Friday, and Canada Post's observed Boxing Day closure falls on Monday, December 28 (Canada Post holiday schedule).
In the US, USPS recommends sending First-Class Mail, which is what cards and postcards travel as, by December 17 for delivery before Christmas within the contiguous US (Gray News). Canada Post usually publishes its holiday card dates in November; check its holiday sending guide for the 2026 dates.
When to order Christmas postcards from Mango Postal
We print and mail every postcard within 24 hours. After that, the postal service takes over. Working backward from our usual delivery windows, here's the latest date to order if you want your card there by Thursday, December 24, 2026:
| Sending to | Delivery after mailing | Order by |
|---|---|---|
| Ontario | 2–5 business days | Monday, December 14 |
| Rest of Canada | 5–7 business days | Thursday, December 10 |
| United States | 7–14 business days | Tuesday, December 1 |
These dates use the slow end of each window plus a two-business-day buffer for holiday volume. If it matters that a card arrives before Christmas, order earlier still. And honestly, if you miss the dates, no one is ever sad about getting a thoughtful card. It will still be a joy to receive.
Christmas card statistics at a glance
For anyone who wants to cite a figure, here are the key numbers from this piece. A link back is appreciated.
| Statistic | Number | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Year the first commercial Christmas card was printed | 1843 | Guinness World Records |
| Copies of the first Christmas card printed | ~1,000 | Guinness World Records |
| Record auction price for an 1843 Cole card | £22,500 (2001) | History of Information |
| First US commercial Christmas card | 1874 (Louis Prang) | The History Blog |
| Christmas cards Americans buy each year | ~1.6 billion | Greeting Card Association (reported 2019) |
| Holiday cards mailed in the US (all holidays, not only Christmas) | 1.3 billion+ | USPS Household Diary Study, FY2018 |
| Share of US household personal mail that's holiday cards | ~43% | USPS Household Diary Study, FY2018 |
| US adults receiving fewer Christmas cards | 6 in 10 | OnePoll, Dec 2024 |
| US adults who blame cost for the decline | 60% | OnePoll, Dec 2024 |
| Gen Z likely to keep Christmas cards as keepsakes | 32% | OnePoll, Dec 2024 |
| UK adults who sent fewer cards after 2024 stamp increases | 33% | Post Office UK / Dynata |
| Letters to and from Santa handled by Canada Post each year | 1 million+ | Canada Post |
| USPS First-Class Mail deadline for Christmas 2026 | December 17 | USPS |
Christmas card statistics FAQ
How many Christmas cards are sent each year?
The Greeting Card Association estimates Americans buy about 1.6 billion Christmas cards a year, and USPS research has counted more than 1.3 billion holiday greeting cards (not only Christmas cards) mailed in fiscal 2018.
Are people still sending Christmas cards?
Yes, but fewer. Six in 10 US adults say they're receiving fewer cards, and cost is the most common reason given. The people who do send cards send about 10 each.
When was the first Christmas card sent?
A hand-coloured lithograph designed by John Callcott Horsley for Henry Cole in London in 1843. About 1,000 were printed and sold for a shilling each.
When should I mail Christmas cards in 2026?
In the US, USPS recommends mailing First-Class cards by December 17. In Canada, letter mail is now slower than in past years, so aim for the first week of December for cross-country cards. With Mango Postal, order by December 1 for US addresses, December 10 for the rest of Canada and December 14 within Ontario.
What is Santa's address in Canada?
Santa Claus, North Pole, H0H 0H0, Canada. Letters mailed within Canada don't need a stamp. Include a return address so Santa can write back.
Sources
Written and fact-checked by the Mango Postal Editorial Team. Figures checked against these sources on October 13, 2026.
- Guinness World Records: First printed Christmas card
- Freeman's: The First Christmas Card, auction lot
- Exploring London: Sir Henry Cole sends Christmas cards
- History of Information: The first commercial Christmas card
- The History Blog: First Christmas card on display
- USPS News: Season's greetings
- Stacker / KVIA: Six in 10 adults are receiving fewer Christmas cards
- Post Office UK: Christmas stamp research, January 2025
- Canada Post: Write a letter to Santa
- The Canadian Press via CJME: Santa letters resume
- Canadian Press via National Newswatch: Canada Post to reduce letter delivery frequency
- BNN Bloomberg: Canada Post begins community mailbox conversion
- Canada Post: Holiday operating hours
- Gray News via WDBJ7: USPS 2026 holiday mailing deadlines
Send one this year
Skip the box of 40. Pick one photo, write one real message, and we'll print it on cotton archival paper and mail it anywhere in Canada or the US, envelope and postage included.
Build a Christmas postcardStuck on the message? Borrow one from What to write on a postcard, or see how to send a postcard online step by step.